Golf practice device



Jan. 21, 1969 TONE 3,423,096

GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Filed Dec. 2, 1965 mmu 2/ LHIIWWWEL 1 26 4 23 /4 //VVE/VTO/? E2. 5 VCHARD IV. TONE W A T TOR/VEY8 United States Patent 3,423,096 GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE Richard N. Tone, 1803 Mezes Ave., Belmont, Calif. 94002 Filed Dec. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 511,209 US. Cl. 273-195 Int. Cl. A631) 69/36 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates generally to a golf practice device and, more particularly relates to golf practice mats as used in golf driving ranges. I

A variety of golf practicing devices have been proposed to provide a simulated grass surface for repeated and extended practicing which is typically experienced in golf driving ranges. The construction of the simulated grass surface has been varied but usually consists in providing a plurality of closely packed bristles providing a surface for supporting a golf ball for driving from the mat. The golf mats heretofore provided at driving ranges how ever, have been found to have several defects which have limited their use. A major disadvantage of some mats has been that the bristle or simulated grass surface wears rapidly and is :costly to replace. Moreover, the feeling transmitted to the golfer upon hitting a golf ball off previous devices has been a poor simulation of natural conditions, that is a feeling experienced by the golfer in making a proper swing down through the ball and taking a divot, as occurs in a properly executed fairway iron or wood shot. The reason for this is because the existing golf mats tend to cause the golf club head to bounce up off the mat, be unduly retarded in advancing through the bristles, or be caught therein. These defects become heightened as the wear of the bristle surface becomes more pronounced under repeated use.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf practice device which will more closely simulate the feeling experienced by a golfer in making a properly executed fairway iron shot, that is, with the club head going down through the ball and taking a divot.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf practice device which provides substantially the same natural feeling regardless of the Wear of the bristle surface employed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf practice mat which is constructed to reduce greatly the wear of the bristle surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golf practice mat of the character described which is easy to manufacture, can be used in existing golf mat receptacles and is impervious to the outdoor conditions typically encountered.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which of the foregoing will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the specification. It

is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by said drawing and the description may 3,423,096 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 "ice be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing (one sheet) FIGURE 1 is a top perspective 'view of a golf practice device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom perspective view of the golf practice device.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view partially in crosssection of the golf practice device shown mounted in a concrete receptacle.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the device.

The golf practicing device of the present invention comprises, briefly, a base supporting member 11, a plurality of grass simulating bristles 12 mounted on the member 11 to form a substantially continuous yieldable bristle surface 13 for supporting thereon of a golf ball for striking by a golf club head, and spring means 14 mounted on the under side 15 of the member 11 to provide localized yielding resilient support for the member 11 and bristles 12, the member 11 being rigid to provide simultaneous downward displacement of a substantial area of the member upon downward impact of the golf club head onto the bristle surface 13.

The combination of localized yielding resilient support of the member 11 and rigid construction of the member 11 provide a golf practice mat in which a substantial area of the mat is displaced by the golf club head upon impact with the mat and golf ball. Downward displacement of a substantial area of the golf mat has been found to be highly advantageous in several respects. First, localized resiliency allows a substantial vertical displacement under a relatively small downward force. Moreover, because the member 11 is easily displaced, the member 11 and bristles 12 are moved down out of the path of the golf club during impact of the ball to minimize thereby the resistance to the club head travel in the direction of the target area. In other words, while the golf club head does remain in contact with the uppermost .portion of the bristles throughout impact of the golf ball, the dissipation of energy in pulling the club through the thick yieldable bristles 12 is minimized. In previous stationary golf mats an unnatural amount of energy is wasted in pulling the golf club head through the bristles in the line of flight. On turf, the grass is not as tightly packed as the bristles and a divot will be taken which pulls free of the rest of the turf.

Standard golf mats are provided with an elongated hitting surface upon which golf balls may be placed and driven from. This surface is usually aligned in the general direction of the practice range into which golf balls are driven. Such mats may be of square or other array, but will generally have opposed ends 16 and 17 defining a dimension in the direction of impact of the golf club head (not shown) aligned in the direction of the driving range. As so constructed, it is preferable to mount springs 19 adjacent the ends 16 and 17 to minimize pitching of the member 11 about an axis transverse to the dimension defined by the ends 16 and 17. This pitching is undesirable as it may result in the golf club head working against the mat. This is best seen in FIGURE 3 where the golf ball 18 is placed on the surface 13 in between the springs 19 mounted adjacent the ends 16 and 17. With the golf ball in this position the golf club head will strike the surface 13 and the springs 19 will be simultaneously and evenly displaced in a downward direction whereby the entire member 11 is depressed. When the springs 19 are placed adjacent to the ends 16 and 17, the golf ball 18 may be placed on the surface 13 in almost any position without substantial pitching or uneven depression of the member 11 upon impact of the surface 13 by a golf club head.

As can be seen best in FIGURE 2, it is advantageous to mount the spring members 19 symmetrically on the underneath side 15 of the member 11. When so symmetrically mounted adjacent the ends 16 and 17, the degree of pitching or rolling of the member 11 upon impact of the surface 13 by a golf club head will be relatively uniform both laterally and longitudinally. The roll or lateral rotation of the member 11 because of preferential yielding of the springs 19 on one side or other of the member 11 is not as critical as pitching as such roll does not impede the motion of the club head through the bristles.

Preferably, the member 11 is mounted on flat inverted U-shaped leaf springs, the configuration of which is best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. These springs 19 are provided in pairs adjacent each of the ends 16 and 17 and are secured at their mid portions 21 as by screws 24 or similar fasteners to the member 11. The legs or ends 22 of the U-shaped member 19 are formed for sliding engagement with an underlying surface 23. Upon downward displacement of the member 19 the ends 22 will slide laterally along the surface 23 thus providing a localized yielding resilient support for the member 11. This construction of the spring 19 enables the golf mat to be mounted for downward displacement in standard shallow concrete receptacles designed to receive stationary golf practice mats.

While the construction of the present invention minimizes the resistance of the bristles 12 to the forward motion of the golf club head, it will be understood that there will still be some tendency for the mat to move forward as well as down under the force of the golf club. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a guiding means such as is provided by the end walls 26 and 27 of the receptacle shown in FIGURE 3. If the ball is driven toward the end 16, the receptacle end wall 26 will prevent forward motion of the member 11 while allowing the member 11 to be vertically displaced. However, as will be understood where the member 11 is made rela tively massive, the inertia of the member and bristles will minimize forward motion of the member. Also it is possible to secure one of the ends 22 of a spring member 19 to the underlying surface thus preventing the forward movement of the member 11 while allowing its vertical displacement upon sliding of the other end 22 of the spring member 19.

The bristles should be fairly closely packed in order to enhance the life of the mat. When the bristles are closely packed, however, the golf ball tends to sit up on top of the bristle surface, as is best seen in FIGURE 3, which represents only one condition. Frequently, however, the golfer is faced with a fairway shot where the golf ball will settle or nest down in the grass to some extent rather than sit up on top of the grass surface. The golf mat of the present invention enables the simulation of the nested position of the golf ball by forming, as seen in FIGURE 4, a depression 31 in the bristle surface 13 to allow the golf ball 18 to nest or settle into the depression 31. This structure working in conjunction with the spring mounted base gives the golfer a very close simulation of hitting golf balls from a grass surface wherein the 'ball as naturally settled part way down into the grass. The depressions 31 can be formed in the mat by initial selection of the lengths of the bristles or by trimming or cutting the depressions into 'a bristle surface which is substantially flat. Only a portion of the golf mat surface need be and is here provided with depressions so that the golfer may selectively hit golf balls from depressions or from the flat bristle surface according to the kind of golf shots he wishes to practice.

Preferably, as hereinabove indicated, the base member 11 is made relatively rigid. This may be accomplished by forming the member from sheet metal 28, preferably covered with a layer 29 of rubber or the like. Bristles such as heretofore used in golf driving mats may be used in the present construction. These may be formed of fibres of natural or synthetic materials and be secured at their lower ends to the base member by any of the methods Well known in the art. The leaf springs.19 may be formed of thin strips of resilient material giving the desired spring characteristics.

The golf mat constructed in accordance with the present invention will provide an action much more closely simulating the action of taking a divot of turf, and will substantially increase the usable life of the mat, and will provide the desired turf taking action throughout the life of the mat even as the bristles wear shorter. The present construction also enables a somewhat less dense packing of the bristles thereby allowing a golf ball to sink at least partially into the bristle surface thereby more closely simulating the nesting of a golf ball in luxuriant fairway grass.

In addition, as so constructed, the golf practice device of the present invention is relatively impervious to the outdoor conditions such as the trapping of water in the golf mat receptacle. The construction of the present invention will not be materially effected either immediately or over long periods of time by adverse weather conditions and is therefore suitable for outdoor placement.

I claim:

1. A golf practice device comprising, a base supporting member having upper and lower surfaces, a. plurality of grass simulating bristles mounted on the upper surface of said member and forming a substantially continuous, yieldable bristle surface for supporting thereon a golf ball to be struck by a golf club head, and at least two pairs of leaf springs, the lower surface of said base member having secured thereto, adjacent each opposite end thereof, a pair of said leaf springs for resiliently supporting said base member, whereby said leaf springs will be downwardly compressed by the force of a swung golf club head striking said bristle surface, said springs having a substantially horizontal portion secured to said base member and having downwardly and outwardly eX- tending end portions adapted to engage a supporting surface.

2. The golf practice device as defined in claim 1, and guide means mounted for engagement with and for guiding the downward displacement of said member upon impact of a club head with said bristle surface.

3. The golf practice device as defined in claim 2 wherein said guide means is comprised of a concrete receptacle formed to receive and support said member and guide an end thereof upon downward displacement of said member.

4. The golf practice device as defined in claim 1 wherein said surface is formed with a depression for supporting a gOlf ball in a nested position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,359 8/1926 Estabrook 273-195 3,143,350 8/1964 Lester 273l 3,345,073 10/1967 Hoffman 273-l97 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. GEORGE J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 273211 

